Brazil ( Republica Federativa do Brasil) is a country in Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. Brazil geographic coordinates 10 00 S, 55 00 W; area includes Arquipelago de Fernando de Noronha, Atol das Rocas, Ilha; area comparative slightly smaller than the US; land boundaries Argentina 1,224 km, Bolivia 3,400 km, Colombia 1,643 km, French Guiana 673 km, Guyana 1,119 km, Paraguay 1,290 km, Peru 1,560 km, Suriname 597 km, Uruguay 985 km, Venezuela 2,200 km; coastline 7,491 km; maritime claims 20; climate mostly tropical, but temperate in south; terrain mostly flat to rolling lowlands in north; some plains, hills, mountains, and narrow coastal belt; elevation extremes Pico da Neblina 3,014 m; natural resources bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, platinum, tin, uranium, petroleum, hydropower, timber; land use 92.15% (2001); irrigated land 26,560 sq km (1998 est.); natural hazards recurring droughts in northeast; floods and occasional frost in south; environment current issues deforestation in Amazon Basin destroys the habitat and endangers a multitude of plant and animal species indigenous to the area; there is a lucrative illegal wildlife trade; air and water pollution in Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and several other large cities; land degradation and water pollution caused by improper mining activities; wetland degradation; severe oil spills; environment international agreements none of the selected agreements; geography note largest country in South America; shares common boundaries with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador;

introduction

Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of the country when in 1985 the military regime peacefully ceded power to civilian rulers. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. Highly unequal income distribution remains a pressing problem. government type federative republic; capital Brasilia; administrative divisions 26 states (estados, singular - estado) and 1 federal district* (distrito federal); Acre, Alagoas, Amapa, Amazonas, Bahia, Ceara, Distrito Federal*, Espirito Santo, Goias, Maranhao, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, Para, Paraiba, Parana, Pernambuco, Piaui, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul, Rondonia, Roraima, Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Tocantins; independence 7 September 1822 (from Portugal); national holiday Independence Day, 7 September (1822); constitution 5 October 1988; legal system based on Roman codes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; suffrage voluntary between 16 and 18 years of age and over 70; compulsory;

people

Brazil population 186,112,794 Brazil took a count in August 200; age structure 6% (male 4,549,552/female 6,542,009) (2005 est.); median age 28.57 years (2005 est.); population growth rate 1.06% (2005 est.); birth rate 16.83 births/1,000 population (2005 est.); death rate 6.15 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.); net migration rate -0.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.); sex ratio 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.); infant mortality rate 33.37 deaths/1,000 live births; life expectancy at birth 75.85 years (2005 est.); total fertility rate 1.93 children born/woman (2005 est.); hiv adult rate 0.7% (2003 est.); hiv people with aids 660,000 (2003 est.); hiv deaths 15,000 (2003 est.); nationality Brazilian; ethnic groups white (includes Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish) 55%, mixed white and black 38%, black 6%, other (includes Japanese, Arab, Amerindian) 1%; religions Roman Catholic (nominal) 80%, other 20%; languages Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French; literacy 86.6% (2003 est.);

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Cities